A2BeginnerNouns and adjectives · Point 23 / 40
après le nom, avant le nom, bel / nouvel / vieil
The adjective agrees with the noun: “un petit bar” but “une petite entreprise”, “un nouveau voisin” but “une nouvelle famille”, and in the plural you add “-s”…
| Place | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| après le nom | — | “après le nom” (after the noun): the usual position for most adjectives |
| avant le nom | — | “avant le nom” (before the noun): position of short, very common adjectives |
| bel / nouvel / vieil | — | special forms used before a vowel |
The adjective agrees with the noun: “un petit bar” but “une petite entreprise”; in the plural you add “-s” (“deux petits”).
Examples from our dialogues 5 · 5 with audio
- Listen
Il y a un petit bar sur la rue Saint-Denis. Vers 19 h ?
There's a little bar on Saint-Denis Street. Around 7 p.m.?
Check The Full DialogueInviting an acquaintance out for a drink
- Listen
Je travaille en marketing numérique pour une petite entreprise. Et vous ?
I work in digital marketing for a small company. And you?
Check The Full DialogueIntroducing yourself to a contact at a conference
- Listen
Une nouvelle famille a emménagé au quatrième. Très gentils, ils ont deux petits.
A new family moved in on the fourth floor. Very nice, they have two little ones.
Check The Full DialogueCatching up with a neighbour after a long absence
- Listen
Signalez tout changement d'adresse rapidement, sinon vous pourriez manquer un courrier important.
Report any change of address promptly, otherwise you could miss an important letter.
Check The Full DialogueAt the immigration counter
- Listen
Bonjour, j'aurais besoin de faire traduire un document officiel.
Hello, I would need to have an official document translated.
Check The Full DialogueHiring a certified translator
Common mistakes
Une petit cuisine et un grande salon.Une petite cuisine et un grand salon.
The adjective follows the gender of the noun: “cuisine” is feminine, so “petite”; “salon” is masculine, so “grand”. Check the article (“une” / “un”) to pick the form.
Un important formulaire, un officiel document.Un formulaire important, un document officiel.
In English the adjective is always before the noun; in French most come after. Only the short, very common adjectives (“petit, grand, bon, nouveau…”) go in front.
Practise speaking
Les interactions socialesSocial interactions
Greeting, getting acquainted, chatting with a neighbour — the French of everyday exchanges.
These dialogues use this point. They open on the dialogue page (audio, vocabulary to save).